Industry standards are the bedrock upon which product and service interoperability are built. Cloud platforms supporting existing and evolving standards make it easier to interconnect through pragmatic “use cases,” or interoperability scenarios, which help customers transition to the cloud on their terms. That’s why Microsoft is dedicated to working with the ecosystem of cloud solution and service providers to provide an open, reliable and global approach to the cloud that centers on interoperability and standards.

Last week, the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA) announced that Microsoft joined the organization as a contributor member to provide resources to the technical workgroups to further the development of open, industry-standard usage models.

"In line with Windows Azure's commitment to openness and interoperability, we are pleased to join ODCA and work with industry leadership on standards for the cloud," said Bill Hilf, General Manager, Windows Azure.

The Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA) is an independent IT consortium comprised of global IT leaders who have come together to provide a unified customer vision for long-term data center requirements, particularly focused on solutions for secure cloud federation, automation of cloud infrastructure, common management, and transparency of cloud service delivery.

Their membership includes more than 300 companies worldwide who share a vision of seamless, secure cloud computing. The Alliance is led by a 12-member steering committee, which includes BMW, China Unicom, Deutsche Bank, Lockheed Martin, and UBS.

"The ODCA brings together leaders from across industries to work together toward a vision of open, industry standard cloud solution delivery," said Mario Mueller, BMW's Vice President of IT Infrastructure and Chair of the Alliance. "In order to truly accelerate availability of cloud services, enterprise IT needs to work closely with cloud service and solution providers. Microsoft's participation is a valuable addition to the organization's mission, and we heartily welcome their membership."